Worcestershire v Yorkshire (County Championship) : Day One

YORKSHIRE failed to put rock-bottom Worcestershire to the sword on day one of the meeting of the County Championship’s bottom two after a trio of dropped catches saw the home side close on 319 for five at New Road, writes STEVE CROSSMAN.

“I’m disappointed,” said skipper Anthony McGrath, “It’s a very flat pitch and we’ve had a day of missed chances really.

“We could have bowled them out already but you’ve got to take your chances on a pitch like this because if you don’t the opposition make you pay.”

Yorkshire lost the toss out to give the host skipper the easy decision of batting first in glorious west Midlands sunshine.

The pitch offered the bowlers little on day one as openers Stephen Moore and Daryl Mitchell carved out an opening stand of 104 but Mitchell, who went on to pass 50, was twice let off by the Yorkshire field.

On 25 he edged to Andrew Gale who couldn’t hold on to a low catch in the slips before Jonathan Bairstow did the same with a low two handed dive.

Moore made a composed 60 before he succumbed to a classic Matthew Hoggard seamer that straightened late on to have him leg before.

It had been a very frustrating morning for the Tykes but a key scalp in the first over after lunch set up a much more successful afternoon as Vikram Solanki was caught behind off Ajmal Shahzad for just one.

Ben Smith went for 15 and Mitchell was finally removed midway through the session – outfoxed by teenage off spinner Azeem Rafiq for 68.

The youngster was hit out of the attack in the morning session after seeing his four overs go for 26 but he showed character to come back firing.

Moeen Ali frustrated the Tykes attack to take Worcestershire from a precarious 173 for four to a much more secure score of 265.

He became the hosts third half centurion and Steve Davies then made it four to pass fifty but he too was let off in bizarre fashion when Gale let the ball slip through his fingers.

Ali went for 55 before the close but Worcestershire go into day two in the ascendancy.

SCORECARD

Worcestershire v Yorkshire
At New Road. Worcestershire Won Toss

Worcestershire First Innings Close
D K Mitchell b Rafiq 68
S C Moore lbw b Hoggard 60
V S Solanki c Bairstow b Shahzad 1
B F Smith c Rudolph b Kruis 15
M M Ali b Kruis 55
S M Davies not out 75
A A Noffke not out 24
Extras (b8 lb10 w1 nb2 pens 0) 21
Total 5 wkts (96 overs) 319
Fall: 1-104 2-105 3-147 4-173 5-265
To Bat: G J Batty, Kabir Ali, C D Whelan, M
S Mason.
Hoggard 20-3-50-1. Bresnan 16-5-42-0.
Shahzad 19-3-65-1. Kruis 17-4-55-2. Rafiq
19-5-62-1. Rudolph 5-0-27-0.